Janet Mason 
The interim budget 2019 had many announcements which can directly affect the man or woman taxpayer. One of the measures announced became the proposal to exempt levy of tax on notional or deemed lease from a 2nd residence assets. While making the assertion, Piyush Goyal, in his finances speech, stated, “Currently, profits tax on a notional lease is payable if one has more than one self-occupied residence. Considering the problem of the middle magnificence having to preserve families at locations because of their task, kid’s schooling, care of mother and father and so on. I am presenting to exempt levy of earnings tax on notional hire on a 2nd self-occupied house.” According to the idea, a 2d residence property might be dealt with as ‘Self-occupied property’ if it isn’t permit-out. As in line with modern legal guidelines, a 2d house assets lying vacant (no longer let loose) or utilized by own family participants is considered as deemed to be rented out, and tax must be paid on notional rent earned from this property. However, there’s no clarity among specialists on the applicability of this inspiration and consequently its tax implications.
One extra element that ought to be referred to is that while extending the gain of self-occupied belongings to a 2d residence, finances 2019 has also restricted the maximum amount of deduction claimed on the hobby paid on housing loan. According to tax specialists, as in line with meantime price range 2019 proposals, from FY 2019-20, the quantity of deduction available at the hobby paid at the housing mortgage for each the self-occupied houses has been confined to Rs 2 lakh. Previously, individuals having a second residence should claim the deduction at the hobby paid at the housing mortgage with no monetary limit. However, the full loss from the house belongings that could be set off became restricted to Rs 2 lakh in a monetary 12 months. Any unabsorbed loss which couldn’t be claimed within the current financial 12 months became allowed to be carried ahead for eight evaluation years for set-off with destiny profits.
Post Budget 2019 proposals, as both the houses can be treated as self-occupied. Therefore, any unabsorbed loss will no longer be allowed to be carried forward. The question now arises that whether or not the second one residence of a taxpayer might be mandatorily treated as self-occupied or can nonetheless be dealt with as deemed to be let loose depending on whether or not situations for being termed as ‘self-occupied as per segment 23(2) are met or now not. Chartered accountants have differing critiques in this regard. Chartered Accountant Naveen Wadhwa, DGM, Taxmann.Com, says, “A taxpayer’s 2d residence can nevertheless be considered as deemed to be set free if it does now not meet any of the situations certain below Section 23(2) of the Income Tax Act.
As consistent with segment 23(2), the price of the house shall be taken as nil (i.E., the house is dealt with as self-occupied for tax functions) if the proprietor uses the said residence for his residential purpose, or it could not be occupied with the aid of the owner due to his employment, enterprise or profession at another area. He has to live in such another area in a rented residence/residence now not owned via him. If any of the circumstances are happy via the character, then, if so, the second house might be handled as self-occupied property. However, this will additionally be interpreted as if the taxpayer has two homes. If no condition is happy as stated in Section 23(2) in appreciation of the second one house, then the second residence shall be considered as deemed to allow-out property.”
Corroborating his views, Shalini Jain, Tax Partner, People Advisory Services, EY India, says, “The Interim Budget 2019 seeks to provide alleviation to the category of taxpayers who are required to pay tax on second residence belongings that is either utilized by mother and father to live in or lying vacant. Those taxpayers will now not pay tax on notional rent on the second property if it qualifies as a self-occupied residence property according to Section 23(2) of the Income-tax Act, 1961. According to the provisions of this phase, house belongings may be considered as self-occupied handiest if the house assets are occupied via the taxpayer for his house, or it couldn’t be occupied with the aid of the taxpayer due to his employment business or career in some other place. He needed to live in that different location in a asset that he doesn’t always own.
Hence, if both of the situations aren’t pleased for assets that aren’t rented out, such house assets might now not be taken into consideration as self-occupied – it might be considered as deemed to be set free. However, if both of the two conditions are satisfied, the taxpayer will mandatorily be required to reveal each of the homes as self-occupied and would not have a choice to recollect both of the homes as deemed to be set free.” Jain further explains this with an example. “Suppose Mr. A owns a residence in Delhi that is occupied through his family. Mr. A is working in Mumbai, living in every other house which is also owned using him. Mr. A can declare the most effective one-house assets at the gift as the self-occupied and notional lease is taxable for the second house assets. Now, as in step with the proposed provisions, Mr. A may consider both the homes as self-occupied.
However, the proposed provisions shall be beneficial if homes are received from their own resources, and there may be restrained, or no expenditure resulting from a hobby on housing loan or if the annual marketplace rent (the cost at which property is anticipated to be let out) is higher than the quantity of general interest expenditure. This is due to the fact the hobby deduction issue of Rs 2 lakh which currently applies to best one self-occupied residence belongings will henceforth practice to each self-occupied houses together.” Taking an extraordinary view, Abhishek Soni, CEO, Tax2win.
In, a tax-filing company says, “Currently, if any assessee owns more than one residence, then the provisions of notional hire observe even on the second one vacant house or house occupied via, say, mother and father. As in step with the proposals of Interim Budget 2019, the provisions of notional hire on the second residence will not be relevant. However, going through the wordings utilized in Section 23 (2) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, the second house additionally should be used by the assessee for his very own house. Now, the query arises whether or not both the house need to be used for own residence to declare the benefit of modification or maybe character the usage of one house for very own residence and some other house lying vacant residence could be handled as self-occupied.
As this grey location could lead to litigations inside the destiny, we’re looking ahead to explain this difficulty by using the CBDT. However, if an individual desire to keep away from litigation with the earnings tax department, they ought to deal with the second house as self-occupied property.” Practicing Accountant Sachin Vasudeva says, “As in keeping with the price range proposals, it’s far clear that people do no longer have any desire in treating their 2d house property as deemed to let loose. From FY 2019-20, the second residence assets might be handled as self-occupied belongings only if it is vacant. No tax could be payable on the premise of the notional hire on such residence if both that house is not let out i.E. Lying vacant at some point of the monetary 12 months or either occupied through your circle of relatives permit say your parents.”
Chetan Chandak, Head of Tax Research, H&R Block India, says, “From the finances proposals, it isn’t always clear whether or not a person will be able to declare the second one house as deemed to let-out if the two situations indexed in section 23(2) aren’t happy. Individuals should understand that if the second house is dealt with as self-occupied assets, then the interest deduction to be had on housing mortgage underneath segment 24 for both the homes can be confined to the mixture of Rs 2 lakh. This will lessen the possible tax advantage inside the destiny from set-off of carried ahead losses. And in the absence of absolute clarity as to whether or not you will declare the other residence as deemed to be let out, the tax officer can also try to restrict the interest deduction underneath segment 24 to Rs 2 lakh for both houses. Prepare.”
